Valve Amp - who’s still using them?

[ossyrocks]

So, this topic has caused me to venture into the workshop and sift through my stash of valves. It's resulted in the Bassman getting a bit of TLC, and a few new valves. However, I have also  realised that I have more valves than I will ever need in my lifetime (what remains of it), some of which I've hoarded for decades. I'm going to start selling some off, and have put a few on Reverb already.

 

Mods - if the following link is not allowed, please let me know, and I'll remove it and try to create an ad here in the Accessories section. Discount available for Basschatters.

 

Also feel free to ask if you're looking for anything in particular, I also have a lot of pre-amp valves which I'm wading through now.

 

https://reverb.com/uk/shop/robs-house-3

 

Rob

[MrDinsdale]

Turned up to a new rehearsal space expecting an Ampeg 8x10 but found this Orange combo… at least I could put my Handbox WB100 to some use 🥲

Edited October 6 by MrDinsdale

[ajkula66]

I still have a few valve amps keeping me company...

 

1) A 1964 Hagstrom Bass 210, 10W (1xECC83 + 1xECLL800)

 

 

2) 1968 Gibson Thor, 50W (2x6EU7 + 2xEL34)

 

 

3) Circa 1971 Carlsbro CS100TC, 100W (3xECC83 + 4xEL34). I own two of these, this is the better-looking one.

 

 

Each of them sports a unique character and is well-loved by silly old me.

 

In all fairness, I do own a couple of SS amps and a hybrid one as well, so I can't say I'm an "all valve kind of guy"...

 

 

[VTypeV4]

 

In a change from my usual love for 'all things green and black', I've been using this lovely old thing of late. It's an '87 Skunkworks SVT-HD which I don't yet own it but there's a deal in progress. It's got bags of power plus it's amongst the most 'musical' of things I've ever plugged into, and yes, it's totally worth the weight..

[Reggaebass]

19 minutes ago, VTypeV4 said:

 

In a change from my usual love for 'all things green and black', I've been using this lovely old thing of late. It's an '87 Skunkworks SVT-HD which I don't yet own it but there's a deal in progress. It's got bags of power plus it's amongst the most 'musical' of things I've ever plugged into, and yes, it's totally worth the weight..

Love that, you don’t see those for sale very often , I bet it sounds great, hope you get it 

[ossyrocks]

Is there anywhere on the internet which provides a documented informative timeline/history/details of the Ampeg SVT, V4B or B15?

 

I'm interested in these amps, but an understanding of them eludes me just as much as the Musicman Stingray!

 

Rob

[MartinB]

https://reverb.com/news/the-golden-age-of-the-ampeg-b-15-1960-1980

[dagrev]

7 hours ago, ossyrocks said:

Is there anywhere on the internet which provides a documented informative timeline/history/details of the Ampeg SVT, V4B or B15?

 

I'm interested in these amps, but an understanding of them eludes me just as much as the Musicman Stingray!

 

Rob

That would be interesting, and a bit lengthy. Been an Ampeg guy for years. 

 

Don't forget about these gems. Sounds more like a 100w SVT than the V-4B, which is brighter and tighter. (I have a reissue of those as well.) These were initially a "V-4B Classic" then changed to the V4BH. First time I heard it in a shop I was in awe and it went home with me. I have two ABMs as well which work better with a few basses. It's possible one day the ABM will replace the all tube heads, but that day ain't today! But I do love those as well. 

[Bagman]

I'm contemplating buying a locally made 100W valve head

 

my favourite amp of all time is the Ashdown CTM-300 

[VTypeV4]

20 hours ago, ossyrocks said:

Is there anywhere on the internet which provides a documented informative timeline/history/details of the Ampeg SVT, V4B or B15?

 

I'm interested in these amps, but an understanding of them eludes me just as much as the Musicman Stingray!

 

Rob

 

There's the Ampeg book, too although it covers all models up until about twenty years back. It's little out of date now but is still an easy and interesting

read.  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ampeg-Story-Behind-Gregg-Hopkins/dp/0793579511

 

20 hours ago, Reggaebass said:

Love that, you don’t see those for sale very often , I bet it sounds great, hope you get it 

 

Thanks, I'm reasonably confident we'll put something together as the fella that owns it is a good mate. 😎 For the record, it's number 191 / 500.

[Sean]

The Brutal Truth About Owning Big Boxes of Bottles

 

My 400+ has been in The Amp Hospital in Guildford.

 

It costs £84 for an inspection and diagnosis. Then you get a full report and a quotation. Small repairs are done within the £84.

 

Here's the quotation for the work. Note that there's no valve replacement in this cost. 

 

You can buy a very good high end used solid state or Class D amp for £454.80 i.e. the £84 plus the repair charge.  

 

Slipknot sends its 400+ amps to the same place. The work and knowledge of Mesa products is what you pay for. 

 

I'm sure that I could get it done cheaper but this is a relic and it needs the TLC that Surrey Amps gives. 

 

One thing is for sure now, this thing is going out gigging to earn its keep.

 

The point of this post is, just understand what you're getting into before adopting one of these beasts.

 

 

@Beedster @agedhorsefor interest, Chris, Andy😉  

Edited 4 hours ago by Sean
Adding shock value.

[ossyrocks]

33 minutes ago, Sean said:

The Brutal Truth About Owning Big Boxes of Bottles

 

My 400+ has been in The Amp Hospital in Guildford.

 

It costs £84 for an inspection and diagnosis. Then you get a full report and a quotation. Small repairs are done within the £84.

 

Here's the quotation for the work. Note that there's no valve replacement in this cost. 

 

You can buy a very good high end used solid state or Class D amp for £454.80 i.e. the £84 plus the repair charge.  

 

Slipknot sends its 400+ amps to the same place. The work and knowledge of Mesa products is what you pay for. 

 

I'm sure that I could get it done cheaper but this is a relic and it needs the TLC that Surrey Amps gives. 

 

One thing is for sure now, this thing is going out gigging to earn its keep.

 

The point of this post is, just understand what you're getting into before adopting one of these beasts.

 

 

@Beedster @agedhorsefor interest, Chris, Andy😉  

 

 

Ooof. The cost of service is unsurprising to me, albeit still quite painful. We have to look at these things as an ongoing cost of use/ownership, rather than a value for money investment.

 

My '73 Bassman 50 cost more to rebuild than it did for me to buy in the first place (and I paid too much!), and I will never recoup the money I have in it. But, I will also never find another like it.

 

Rob

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, Sean said:

The Brutal Truth About Owning Big Boxes of Bottles

 

My 400+ has been in The Amp Hospital in Guildford.

 

It costs £84 for an inspection and diagnosis. Then you get a full report and a quotation. Small repairs are done within the £84.

 

Here's the quotation for the work. Note that there's no valve replacement in this cost. 

 

You can buy a very good high end used solid state or Class D amp for £454.80 i.e. the £84 plus the repair charge.  

 

Slipknot sends its 400+ amps to the same place. The work and knowledge of Mesa products is what you pay for. 

 

I'm sure that I could get it done cheaper but this is a relic and it needs the TLC that Surrey Amps gives. 

 

One thing is for sure now, this thing is going out gigging to earn its keep.

 

The point of this post is, just understand what you're getting into before adopting one of these beasts.

 

 

@Beedster @agedhorsefor interest, Chris, Andy😉  

….but of course, if you could get the same from that £454.80 amp you would…

 

Which is why it still makes more sense to repair it than to buy the cheaper option. And the great thing about many tube amps is that you’ll be able to keep doing so, not always the case with solid state 👍

 

Owning a big tube amp’s a bit like owning a big dog, you might get lucky with the vet’s bills, but you probably won’t 🤔

[Sean]

13 minutes ago, Beedster said:

….but of course, if you could get the same from that £454.80 amp you would…

 

Which is why it still makes more sense to repair it than to buy the cheaper option. And the great thing about many tube amps is that you’ll be able to keep doing so, not always the case with solid state 👍

 

Owning a big tube amp’s a bit like owning a big dog, you might get lucky with the vet’s bills, but you probably won’t 🤔

Couldn't agree more. Obviously, I paid the pro forma invoice within 3 minutes of it landing. There's 100 years of gigging left in that amp if looked after properly. If Macca and Slipknot are still gigging them then there must be a reason...

Edited 3 hours ago by Sean

[Beer of the Bass]

That was definitely a factor in going for the PF50T rather than holding out for a bigger beast going cheap (as they sometimes do). The cost of one pair of 6L6 isn't going to be too much of a financial catastrophe, and now it's out of warranty I'm fairly sure I could figure out most issues myself, where some of the bigger lads increase in complexity too. 

[agedhorse]

3 hours ago, Sean said:

The Brutal Truth About Owning Big Boxes of Bottles

 

My 400+ has been in The Amp Hospital in Guildford.

 

It costs £84 for an inspection and diagnosis. Then you get a full report and a quotation. Small repairs are done within the £84.

 

Here's the quotation for the work. Note that there's no valve replacement in this cost. 

 

You can buy a very good high end used solid state or Class D amp for £454.80 i.e. the £84 plus the repair charge.  

 

Slipknot sends its 400+ amps to the same place. The work and knowledge of Mesa products is what you pay for. 

 

I'm sure that I could get it done cheaper but this is a relic and it needs the TLC that Surrey Amps gives. 

 

One thing is for sure now, this thing is going out gigging to earn its keep.

 

The point of this post is, just understand what you're getting into before adopting one of these beasts.

 

 

@Beedster @agedhorsefor interest, Chris, Andy😉  

A couple of comments that apply here…

 

1. much of the additional labor applies to correcting previous repair work, and removal of the PCB for the additional work (including cleaning residue and contamination, which is important to minimize leakage currents)

 

2. 20% of the total repair cost doesn’t go to the shop, it goes to the all government to pay for the costs of running the country, including social heath programs. 
 

The pre-VAT amount is similar to the cost of factory servicing. 

[Merton]

22 minutes ago, agedhorse said:

 

 

2. 20% of the total repair cost doesn’t go to the shop, it goes to the all government to pay for their mates to make up companies and to throw money at Israel for no good reason
 

FTFY 😜

[Chienmortbb]

VAT is a sales tax and in Europe/UK it is around 20%. 
 

It is some while since I was last in the USA but then, individual states levied their own sales tax. Annoyingly, the tickets price was without tax so you got a shock at the checkout. The last time I visited Sales tax was around 5-7%. That would have either been Nevada or Louisiana. 20 years ago. 

 

Taxes are higher in the UK than then USA but we generally have better public services. In Scandinavia, where taxes are higher, they have even better public services. Sadly taxation does not subsidise amplifier repairs.